SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 11)5 



copy of it may now be seen in the first edition 

 of this work : it is only a fragment, but the 

 world will see from it, that Ancient Mexico 

 must have been at least double the size of the 

 present city, and that it equalled it in regu- 

 larity, and excelled it in the number and size 

 of its palaces and temples ; the account given 

 of it by Cortez to his sovereign, as well as that 

 of Bernal Dias, will therefore now be no longer 

 doubted. From the number of our country- 

 men who have lately embarked for New Spain, 

 many of whom are men of science and educa- 

 tion, we may hope for much farther inform- 

 ation, especially as the enlightened minister of 

 state, Don Lucas Alaman, will, I am sure, 

 have great pleasure in assisting them in their 

 researches: to his kindness the public are 

 principally indebted for the antiquities now 

 at the Egyptian Hall, which are nearly the 

 only ones, if we except a few Aztec MSS., 

 that have ever reached Europe. 



